The Hill: White House Unveils New Push To Increase Availability Of COVID-19 Treatment Pills 
The White House on Tuesday unveiled new steps aimed at making highly effective COVID-19 treatment pills from Pfizer more widely available, saying more lives could be saved if use of the pills increases.  ... To boost availability, the administration announced Tuesday morning that the number of sites where the pills are available would soon increase from 20,000 to 30,000, and that it will work with pharmacies to increase that number to 40,000 “over the coming weeks.” (Sullivan, 4/26)

NPR: Biden Will Make Paxlovid, A Highly Effective COVID Drug, Available To More Pharmacies
The rollout of the medication has been slow since it was authorized for use in December, failing to reach many Americans eligible for treatment. "It's pretty clear from the uptake of Paxlovid, and the rate of hospitalizations and deaths over the months that Paxlovid has been available, that there are still some folks who could have benefitted from these medications," a senior administration official acknowledged on a call with reporters on Monday ahead of today's announcement. (Keith and McDaniel, 4/26)

AP: White House: Without Funding US Will Lose COVID Treatments 
For much of the past two years, America has been first in line for COVID-19 vaccines and treatments. Now, as drugmakers develop the next generation of therapies, the White House is warning that if Congress doesn’t act urgently the U.S. will have to take a number. Already the congressional stalemate over virus funding has forced the federal government to curtail free treatment for the uninsured and to ration monoclonal antibody supplies. And Biden administration officials are expressing increasing alarm that the U.S. is also losing out on critical opportunities to secure booster doses and new antiviral pills that could help the country maintain its reemerging sense of normalcy, even in the face of potential new variants and case spikes. (Miller, 4/25)

In related news about remdesivir —

The Hill: FDA Grants Full Approval For COVID-19 Treatment Remdesivir In Young Kids 
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Monday gave its first full approval for a COVID-19 treatment for children under 12.  The agency granted approval to the treatment remdesivir, also known as Veklury, made by Gilead Sciences, which has already been approved as a treatment for adults.  (Sullivan, 4/25)

And a new book from Dr. Deborah Birx reveals a secret pact with Dr. Fauci —

ABC News: Exclusive: Dr. Birx Speaks To Trump Disinfectant Moment, Says Colleagues Had Resignation Pact
The coronavirus response coordinator for President Donald Trump's COVID task force, Dr. Deborah Birx, told ABC News in an exclusive interview that she became "paralyzed" when Trump raised the possibility of injecting disinfectant into people to treat the virus – and revealed how she thinks data meant to keep New York City playgrounds open led the president to make that ill-advised jump. Birx, who spoke with Dr. Jennifer Ashton, ABC News' chief medical correspondent, before the Tuesday release of her new book, also said she had a pact with other doctors on Trump's team – including Anthony Fauci – that if one of them was fired, then they would all resign. (Gittleson, 4/25)

The New York Times: Judge Says Migrants Must Still Be Denied Entry For Health Reasons 
A federal judge on Monday said he would block the Biden administration from exempting migrants from expulsion under a Trump-era public health order until the policy is officially lifted next month. The federal government has announced plans to lift the order, known as Title 42, on May 23 — a move that is expected to create a considerable surge of migration from Mexico. Several states have challenged the plan, saying it will create chaos on the border and lead to significant impacts on states forced to handle the newly arriving migrants. (Jordan and Sullivan, 4/25)

CNN: Federal Judge Temporarily Blocks Biden Administration From Ending Title 42 Covid Border Restrictions For Migrants
Monday's order from Judge Robert Summerhays is unlikely to change the situation on the ground, given that the public health authority remains in place, but it may throw a wrench in the administration's plans moving forward. More than 20 states had asked the court to block the administration from ending Title 42 and last week asked the court to immediately intervene. The Justice Department, which opposed the request, declined to comment Monday. (Alvarez, 4/25)

Politico: Judge Threatens To Stop Biden’s Title 42 Plan, Right As He Rushes To Defend It 
The White House had started preparing a more aggressive defense around its plan for lifting the Trump-era deportation policy known as Title 42, when a federal judge issued a Monday decision that likely changes the Biden administration’s plans for a full-court press. Judge Robert R. Summerhays, in Louisiana district court, announced his intent to issue a temporary restraining order that would block the Biden administration from ending Title 42 on May 23. Summerhays, a Trump appointee overseeing a lawsuit against the policy change brought by multiple Republican-led states, said the terms of the restraining order have yet to be reached. The Justice Department declined to comment on the coming Title 42 temporary restraining order. (Barron-Lopez and Ferris, 4/25)

In other legal news —

The Hill: Supreme Court Agrees To Review Death Row Inmate’s Bid For DNA Testing 
The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to review death row inmate Rodney Reed’s request for DNA testing of evidence gathered in connection to the 1996 murder for which Reed was convicted and given a death sentence. Reed, who has maintained his innocence throughout his legal saga, has long sought DNA testing of items recovered from the body and clothing of victim Stacey Stites, as well as items found near the truck of Stites’s then-fiance Jimmy Fennell. (Kruzel and Schnell, 4/25)

Stars And Stripes: VA Adds 9 Respiratory Cancers To List Of Illnesses Caused By Burn Pits
The Department of Veterans Affairs announced Monday that it created a fast-track to disability compensation for veterans who developed one of nine rare respiratory cancers because of their exposure to toxic burn pits during overseas deployments. The cancers were added to the department’s presumptive list, which lowers the amount of evidence that veterans must provide to receive VA benefits. The cancers to be added to the list are squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx, squamous cell carcinoma of the trachea, adenocarcinoma of the trachea, adenosquamous carcinoma of the lung, large cell carcinoma of the lung, salivary gland-type tumors of the lung, sarcomatoid carcinoma of the lung, and typical and atypical carcinoid of the lung. (Wentling, 4/25)

CNN: Biden Administration Adds Nine Rare Respiratory Cancers With Ties To Burn Pits To List Of Service-Connected Disabilities
The move marks a significant step in the administration's efforts to expand benefits for veterans exposed to burn pits, an issue that is quite personal for the President. Biden has long speculated that burn pits may have caused the brain cancer that killed his late son Beau Biden, an Iraq War veteran, while also noting he's been unable to prove it. Beau Biden died in 2015 after a battle with glioblastoma, which is not included in this new list from the veterans agency. The Department of Veterans Affairs said the determination was made following a review that found "biological plausibility between airborne hazards and carcinogenesis of the respiratory tract -- and the unique circumstances of these rare cancers warrant a presumption of service connection." (Saenz, 4/25)

Military Times: Nine Respiratory Cancers Added To List Of Illnesses Presumed Caused By Burn Pit Smoke
In a statement, VA Secretary Denis McDonough called the move overdue. “Veterans who suffer from rare respiratory cancers associated with their service deserve the very best America has to offer, but they’ve had to wait for the care and benefits they deserve for far too long,” he said. “That ends now. “With these new presumptives, veterans who suffer from these rare respiratory cancers will finally get the world-class care and benefits they deserve, without having to prove causality between their service and their condition.” (Shane III, 4/25)

In other military health news —

Stars And Stripes: Tricare’s Autism Awareness Facebook Post Draws Ire From Parents Of Autistic Kids 
Cassandra Wheeler said she felt an upswell of anger when she saw a recent social media post by Tricare, the military’s health care provider, in support of Autism Acceptance Month. Tricare called for “inclusivity” and “tolerance” for autistic children through “patience, understanding, and education,” according to the April 8 post on the provider’s official Facebook page. As of Friday, it had received about 800 mostly critical comments, and was shared about 400 times. Wheeler, 34, the wife of a medically retired Army veteran and the mother of two autistic children, said Tricare gutted the care it provides for the autistic children of military families last year. (Burke, 4/25)

Military.Com: The Navy Is Deputizing Doctors To Enforce Drug Rules Even For Those Seeking Mental Health Help 
In the wake of reports that a Navy psychologist played an active role in convicting for drug use a sailor who had reached out for mental health assistance, the service is standing by its policy, which does not provide patients with confidentiality and could mean that seeking help has consequences for service members. (Toropin, 4/18)

The New York Times: The Unseen Scars Of Those Who Kill Via Remote Control 
Drones were billed as a better way to wage war — a tool that could kill with precision from thousands of miles away, keep American service members safe and often get them home in time for dinner. The drone program started in 2001 as a small, tightly controlled operation hunting high-level terrorist targets. But during the past decade, as the battle against the Islamic State intensified and the Afghanistan war dragged on, the fleet grew larger, the targets more numerous and more commonplace. Over time, the rules meant to protect civilians broke down, recent investigations by The New York Times have shown, and the number of innocent people killed in America’s air wars grew to be far larger than the Pentagon would publicly admit. Captain Larson’s story, woven together with those of other drone crew members, reveals an unseen toll on the other end of those remote-controlled strikes. (Philipps, 4/15)

CNN: Adolescent Suicides Increased In 5 US States During The Pandemic. Why Parents Should Be Concerned
The mental health of Americans has suffered during the Covid-19 pandemic, and new research shows the damage wasn't limited to adults. The number of suicides among adolescents between the ages of 10 and 19 increased in five states during the pandemic, according to research looking at 14 states published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics on Monday. Data from Georgia, Indiana, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Virginia and California also showed an increase in the proportion of adolescent deaths by suicide relative to suicides by people of all ages, the authors found. Conversely, Montana had a decrease in adolescent suicides and the proportion of adolescent deaths by suicide during the pandemic, while Alaska had a decrease in proportion only, the research found. (Rogers, 4/25)

NBC News: Teen Suicides Increased In Many States During Pandemic
Adolescents accounted for a larger share of suicides across 14 states in 2020 than they did over the previous five years, according to research published Monday. The findings were described in a research letter in JAMA Pediatrics, as medical groups and health experts increasingly sound the alarm about the soaring mental health challenges of young people. In October, three prominent children's health organizations declared that child and adolescent mental health had become a national emergency. (Bendix, 4/25)

The New York Times: ‘It’s Life Or Death’: The Mental Health Crisis Among U.S. Teens 
One evening last April, an anxious and free-spirited 13-year-old girl in suburban Minneapolis sprang furious from a chair in the living room and ran from the house — out a sliding door, across the patio, through the backyard and into the woods. Moments earlier, the girl’s mother, Linda, had stolen a look at her daughter’s smartphone. The teenager, incensed by the intrusion, had grabbed the phone and fled. (The adolescent is being identified by an initial, M, and the parents by first name only, to protect the family’s privacy.) Linda was alarmed by photos she had seen on the phone. (Richtel, 4/23)

How you can help adolescents —

The New York Times: How To Help Teens Struggling With Mental Health 
The counsel from experts is resounding: Be clear and direct and don’t shy from hard questions, but also approach these issues with compassion and not blame. Challenging as it may seem to talk about these issues, young people often are desperate to be heard. At the same time, talking to a parent can feel hard. “Be gentle, be curious, and, over time, be persistent but not insistent,” Dr. Hinshaw explained. “Shame and stigma are a huge part of the equation here, and if you are outraged and judgmental, be prepared for a shutdown.” (Richtel, 4/23)

The Conversation: The Transition Into Adolescence Can Be Brutal For Kids' Mental Health – But Parents Can Help Reduce The Risk
Research into how young people develop emotional skills found that a parenting style which encourages understanding and acceptance of emotions is associated with better mental wellbeing compared to styles which are dismissive, punitive or avoid emotional experiences. s well as general emotional response style, there is an array of other factors linked to anxiety and depression which parents can play an important role in mitigating. (4/21)

The 74: This Teen Shared Her Troubles With A Robot. Could AI ‘Chatbots’ Solve The Youth Mental Health Crisis? 
Fifteen-year-old Jordyne Lewis was stressed out. The high school sophomore from Harrisburg, North Carolina, was overwhelmed with schoolwork, never mind the uncertainty of living in a pandemic that’s dragged on for two long years. Despite the challenges, she never turned to her school counselor or sought out a therapist. Instead, she shared her feelings with a robot. Woebot to be precise.  (Keierleber, 4/13)

Also —

NPR: Why Some Research On Mental Illness And The Brain Falls Short
MRI scans have allowed researchers to peer inside the human brain. And the technology is great at revealing damage from a stroke, or areas that light up when we see a face. But brain scan studies have yet to offer much insight into the underpinnings of traits like intelligence, or mental health conditions like anxiety and depression. A key reason is that these studies need to include scans of thousands of brains, instead of the dozens typically used, a team reported in the March 16 issue of the journal Nature. "You need a very large sample, and bigger samples are better," says Dr. Nico Dosenbach, an author of the study and an associate professor of neurology at Washington University in St. Louis. (Hamilton, 4/26)

The Wall Street Journal: U.S. Nears One Million Covid-19 Deaths
Slightly more than two years after recording its first Covid-19 death, the U.S. is about to cross a once-unthinkable threshold: one million deaths attributed to the disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Covid-19 mortality count—over 990,000 and still rising—is reflected in death certificates recorded by the CDC. Of these certificates, at least 90% list Covid-19 as the underlying cause of death, the CDC said. The remainder list the disease as a contributing cause. (Kamp, Stamm and Bentley, 4/25)

KIRO 7 News Seattle: Coronavirus: US COVID-19 Death Toll Nears 1 Million
As of 6:45 a.m. EDT Monday, cumulative coronavirus deaths in the U.S. totaled 991,254 – more than any other country, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Brazil had the second-highest number of deaths with 662,891, followed by India with 522,223, Russia with 367,521 and Mexico with 324,129. (Ewing, 4/25)

Philadelphia Inquirer: Brains Are Bad At Big Numbers, Making It Impossible To Grasp What A Million COVID-19 Deaths Really Means
As of April 2022, there have been nearly 1 million confirmed COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. For most people, visualizing what a million of anything looks like is an impossible task. The human brain just isn’t built to comprehend such large numbers. We are two neuroscientists who study the processes of learning and numerical cognition – how people use and understand numbers. While there is still much to discover about the mathematical abilities of the human brain, one thing is certain: People are terrible at processing large numbers. (Hasak and Toomarian, 4/7)

Also —

Yahoo News: The Children Left Behind By 1 Million U.S. COVID Deaths
Just 10 years old at the time, it was as if Eva Torres’s world fell in when COVID claimed the life of her grandmother in April 2020. Abuela, as the girl called her, had lived just a block from the Bronx apartment she shared with her parents and two older brothers. Grandma was the one who would pick her up from school each day and “hear her 10,000 stories,” said Eva’s mother Angela Torres, “even if she was repeating it for the 20th time.” After Eva’s grandmother passed, the elder Torres watched her daughter’s grades slip. Her once-bubbly girl seemed withdrawn, weighed down by anxiety. “[That kind of loss,] it’s something that you carry with you,” the mother told The 74. “It permeates into your very soul.” (Lehrer-Small, 4/24)

Charleston City Paper: Over A Quarter Million U.S. COVID Deaths Were Likely Preventable With Vaccines
The U.S. is nearing 1 million COVID-19 deaths, a record that is likely undercounted as it is, due to missed early infections and the advent of at-home testing in the last few months. Data from the months since vaccination was made broadly available in the nation has consistently shown those who are vaccinated are far less likely to come down with serious cases of COVID-19, according to a report by The Washington Post. And a new analysis from the Peterson Center on Healthcare and Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) quantifies the effects of vaccination, estimating that more than 234,000 unvaccinated Americans died who could have lived had they had their vaccine. This was particularly true during the Delta surge in late 2021, most of the deaths each month could have been prevented with vaccination, according to an analysis by Peterson and KFF. (Baldwin, 4/22)

Stat: Majority Of Family Members Of Covid Patients Treated In The ICU Report PTSD Symptoms
A majority of family members of Covid-19 patients treated in ICUs reported significant symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder in the following months, according to a study published Monday that sheds new light on the impact of hospital visitation restrictions during the pandemic. The prevalence of PTSD symptoms was roughly twice the rate typically seen after a family member’s ICU stay before the pandemic, which the authors said was likely explained by the lack of access to loved ones during their ICU stay. “Those with higher scores reported more distrust of practitioners,” according to the study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, and PTSD symptoms were especially prevalent among women and Hispanic family members. (Mulundika, 4/25)

CNN: Family Members Of Covid-19 ICU Patients May Emerge With A Different Condition, Study Says
In addition to the survey, the study also used narrative interviews to get more details on what made a difference for families. Some were able to experience staff going the extra mile to make them feel connected and involved even when they couldn’t be there. “What made it easier is the video visits, video calls and daily updates. I called and talked with the nurses every day, talked to the physician,” one family member said, according to the study. But other survey participants felt the communication they got was limited and reported feeling powerless and afraid. “They called us and said, ‘Do you want us to pull the plug?’ … I said how did it go from coming home to pulling the plug? … They say that her mouth was moving and her eyes was moving but they said she was dead … so, they went on and pulled the plug anyway,” another family member said. (Holcombe, 4/25)

In related news about the effects of PTSD —

ScienceDaily: Study: Economic Burden Of PTSD 'Staggering'
A new study finds that the national economic burden of PTSD goes beyond direct health care expenses and exceeds the costs of other common mental health conditions, such as anxiety and depression. The researchers estimated the cost of PTSD at $232.2 billion for 2018, the latest year for which data were available at the time of the study. (Veterans Affairs Research Communications, 4/25)

In other news about covid —

Bangor Daily News: Latest ‘Stealth Variant’ Offshoot Begins Driving COVID-19 Cases In Maine
An even more transmissible version of the highly contagious omicron subvariant is gaining a foothold in Maine, making up 12 percent of cases in April, according to the state’s latest COVID-19 variants report. The emergence of the BA.2.12.1 strain, an offshoot of the so-called BA.2 “stealth variant,” in Maine comes as wastewater levels have shown a sharp rise in COVID-19 concentration in recent weeks, signaling greater transmission of the virus here. Hospitalizations have also ticked up, with 130 patients hospitalized with the virus as of Monday, up from just 93 a week ago. (Piper, 4/25)

Bloomberg: Covid Case Metrics Fall Behind Omicron Variant
In early January the state of Massachusetts added a new set of figures to its Covid-19 dashboard. Two years into the pandemic, it began to draw a distinction between people who were hospitalized because of the virus and people who were there for other reasons but also happened to be infected. Nothing changed inside the hospitals’ walls—a Covid-positive patient there because of a car crash still had to be isolated. But the effect on the state’s numbers was dramatic. It cut them in half. (Armstrong, 4/26)

CBS News: Ruby Princess Cruise Ship Docked In San Francisco With 143 Cases Of COVID-19
For the third time this year, the same Princess Cruise Lines ship has docked in California with passengers who tested positive for COVID-19. The Ruby Princess arrived in San Francisco on April 11 after a trip to Hawaii in which 143 passengers on board testing positive with the virus, the city's health department told CBS MoneyWatch. (Brooks, 4/25)

Houston Chronicle: Beto O’Rourke, Candidate For Texas Governor, Tests Positive For COVID-19
Beto O’Rourke, the Democratic candidate for Texas governor, tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday. The former congressman from El Paso is experiencing mild symptoms and “will be following public health guidelines,” he said in a statement. O’Rourke has been roadtripping across the state for more than a dozen town halls in recent weeks, as his campaign targets the young voters who propelled his 2018 campaign for U.S. Senate. (Harris, 4/25)

Also —

Fox News: Long COVID-19 May Be Caused By Abnormally Suppressed Immune System In Some People: UCLA-Led Study
A possible contributor of Long COVID -19 may actually be an abnormally suppressed immune system, and not a hyperactive one, according to a UCLA- led research group. The study, recently published in the peer-reviewed journal Clinical Infectious Diseases. It contradicts what scientists previously believed, which was that an overactive immune response to SARS-CoV-2, often referred to as a "cytokine storm," was the root cause of the perplexing syndrome. Health experts told Fox News this "cytokine storm" is an over-reactive inflammatory response in the infected person that can potentially cause damage to lungs and other organs, possibly creating severe illness or even death. (McGorry, 4/25)

In news about vaccine and mask mandates —

AP: Ducey Signs Bills Limiting School Mask, Vaccination Rules 
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey on Monday signed legislation that prohibits government agencies from requiring COVID-19 vaccinations and bars schools from mandating masks for students under age 18 unless their parents approve. The bills approved by the Republican governor are the latest measures backed only by GOP members of the Legislature responding to what they believe are overly-aggressive government actions during the coronavirus pandemic. (4/25)

San Francisco Chronicle: California Does Not Have To Require Prison Workers To Get COVID Vaccines, Court Rules
California does not have to require state prison employees to be vaccinated against the coronavirus because it is taking other precautions to protect health care in the nation’s largest prison system, a federal appeals court ruled Monday. The vaccination mandate, which allowed exemptions for medical or religious reasons, was proposed by J. Clark Kelso, court-appointed overseer of health care in California prisons, and approved in September by U.S. District Judge Jon Tigar of Oakland. He cited the rapid spread of COVID-19 in confined prison quarters, the vaccination rate of only 42% among prison guards, and the deaths of 242 inmates and 49 staff members from the virus. (Egelko, 4/25)

In related news —

Variety: As Mask And Vaccine Mandates Fall, Covid Rates Soar Among Musicians 
From the T.S.A. to the Coachella festival, from your local supermarket to your local music club, mask and vaccination mandates continue to fall across the country, in the face of all credible scientific evidence that yet another coronavirus surge is not only taking place, but raging. Given that, it is not surprising that touring music artists are continuing to postpone dates as bandmembers or crew test positive for COVID-19.While no definitive figures exist, all one needs to do is look at social media to see dozens of postponed or canceled concerts or tours due to someone in the artist’s party testing positive. (Aswad, 4/19)

The New York Times: What An Unvaccinated Sergeant Who Nearly Died Of Covid Wants You To Know
No one thought Frank Talarico Jr. was going to live. Not his doctors, his nurses or his wife, a physician assistant who works part time at the Camden, N.J., hospital where he spent 49 days fighting to survive Covid-19.A 47-year-old police sergeant, he was not vaccinated against the coronavirus. Unconvinced of the vaccine’s merits, he figured he was young and fit enough to handle whatever illness the virus might cause. He was wrong. (Tully, 4/26)

In updates on the vaccine rollout —

ABC News: Millions Of COVID-19 Shots Set To Go To Waste, As Vaccine Rollout Slows 
While top U.S. health officials are urging some Americans to get yet another coronavirus booster shot, local health departments across the country are grappling with a growing dilemma -- how to address a declining demand for vaccines, while minimizing the waste of unused millions of doses currently in state stockpiles and at risk of expiring. (Mitropoulos, 4/25)

The New York Times: Do Vaccines Protect Against Long Covid?
As the pandemic enters its third year, long Covid has emerged as an increasingly important concern. And many people are wondering whether getting a Covid shot can reduce their chances of developing long-term symptoms. The jury is still out, but a growing number of studies suggest that getting a Covid vaccine can reduce — though not eliminate — the risk of longer-term symptoms. (Belluck, 4/26)

NBC Chicago: What is Novavax? How This COVID Vaccine Differs From Others, When It Could Be Authorized
The U.S. could soon have a new COVID vaccine on the market but this one will be different from the others. Novavax asked the Food and Drug Administration to authorize its COVID-19 vaccine for adults in late-January and that application remains under review, but the company recently released data surrounding a new trial that could target both flu and COVID at the same time. So what exactly is Novavax and what should you know about the vaccine? Here's a breakdown. (4/25)

Bloomberg: U.S. Hospitals Struggle To Absorb Covid Pandemic-Era Rising Costs
U.S. hospitals are struggling to absorb rising costs for labor, drugs and supplies as the pandemic drags on, the American Hospital Association said Monday in a report. Labor costs per patient jumped by 19% in 2021 from 2019, and supplies rose by over 20% per patient during that period, according to the report. Nursing expenses shifted heavily toward travel nurses. The travelers’ share of nursing budgets rose to 39% in 2022 from 5% in 2019. (Goldberg, 4/25)

In other health industry news —

AP: North Dakota-Based Healthcare Billing Services Group Hacked
Federal investigators say a cyber attack on a North Dakota-based company that provides software and billing services for doctors and healthcare professionals affected more than a half-million customers. Adaptive Health Integrations of Williston was the target of a hacking incident that happened in mid-October, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The data breach was reported to the government earlier this month. (4/25)

Detroit Free Press: Common Ground To Open Online Behavioral Health Urgent Care
Metro Detroiters who need urgent mental and behavioral health care can now get it without going to a hospital emergency room. Common Ground is opening the region's first virtual Behavioral Health Urgent Care with an aim of filling a huge gap in services. "The time is really good because there is such a high need out there in our in our community right now," said Heather Rae, president and CEO of Common Ground, a 24-hour crisis services nonprofit agency that is expanding the care it already provides to more than 88,000 people at sites in Pontiac and Royal Oak. (Jordan Shamus, 4/25)

In news about nurses and other health workers —

Bay Area News Group: Thousands Of Stanford, Packard Children's Nurses Begin Strike To Demand For Better Staffing, Mental Health Support
After treating patients without a contract since the end of March, 5,000 nurses lined streets near Stanford Hospital raucously picketing and urging medical center officials to deliver an agreement ahead of negotiations scheduled for Tuesday morning. Holding signs that read “Stanford hates caregivers” and shouting slogans like “shame on Stanford” as drivers blared their car horns in support, nurses appeared more than ready to pressure Stanford indefinitely until a “reasonable” contract is reached. (Lin and Toledo, 4/25)

The Boston Globe: McLean Nurses, Clinicians Vote In Union Following Fiercely Contested Campaign
Following a contentious union campaign that generated staunch resistance from management at McLean Hospital, nurses and other clinicians at the world-renowned psychiatric hospital in Belmont have voted to join AFSCME Council 93. The results of two elections, announced Friday, were close. Registered nurses, nurse practitioners, and clinical coordinators voted 113-100 in favor of the union, and mental health specialists and community residence counselors approved the union 121-91. About 60 ballots have been contested, but Council 93 expects the victories — representing more than 700 workers in all — to stand. (Johnston, 4/25)

Houston Chronicle: Texas Leader Overseeing State Psychiatric Hospitals Resigns In Lieu Of Being Fired
The associate commissioner in charge of operations and planning for Texas’ 10 publicly funded psychiatric hospitals resigned to avoid being fired last month, state records show. Tim Bray oversaw state mental hospital operations between September 2016 and this month. During that time, the waitlist for beds grew more than 550 percent, from 354 in September 2016 to 2,309 in March, according to a Houston Chronicle analysis of state data. (Stuckey, 4/25)

USA Today: 'A New Era Of Diagnosis For Alzheimer's Disease': Scientists Study Blood Tests For Dementia
As pharmaceutical companies spend hundreds of millions on a potential treatment for Alzheimer’s disease, other researchers are focusing on a more elemental question. How can you tell whether a family member or loved one has Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia? These researchers say a new generation of blood tests could offer an easier and accurate way to detect signs of Alzheimer’s, a disease that afflicts an estimated 6.5 million Americans. New research found one blood test can detect hallmarks of the disease in older adults with memory problems. It is among more than a half-dozen blood tests being developed and tested to detect early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. (Alltucker, 4/26)

In other news —

The Times: Early Signs Of Alzheimer’s May Be Detected With The Stroke Of A Pen
A pen that detects minute changes in people’s movements has been developed by Scottish scientists to provide early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. Manus Neurodynamica, an Edinburgh medical technology company, is testing its Neuromotor Pen for the screening of dementia. It hopes it will be used in hospitals, health centres and walk-in clinics. The breakthrough could give a simple way to identify Alzheimer’s and differentiate it from mild cognitive impairment. Present detection methods include brain imaging, the use of radio tracers and cognitive assessment, all of which are expensive and take time. (Allardyce, 4/24)

New Atlas: New Study May Explain Why Apathy Is The First Symptom Of Alzheimer’s
Compelling new research from the Indiana University School of Medicine has homed in on a degenerative mechanism that could explain why symptoms such as apathy are the first signs of Alzheimer’s disease. The findings suggest disrupting this process could slow the progression of Alzheimer’s-related dementia. (Haridy, 4/25)

Daily Beast: The Race to Unravel COVID’s Hidden Link to Alzheimer’s
As the pandemic rages on across the globe, scientists have started identifying a chilling pattern: An estimated one-third of people infected with COVID-19 develop neurological symptoms including strokes, headaches, and disturbed consciousness. In some brains, COVID causes molecular changes that mirror those seen in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s, leading some scientists to believe that long COVID may be an atypical form of the memory-destroying disorder. There are also larger concerns that damage to the brain caused by COVID may put individuals at an increased risk of developing dementia later in life. The downstream effects on long-term health are far from understood, but dramatic preliminary evidence suggests a complicated alignment with Alzheimer’s disease. (Sloat, 4/25)

KETV: UNMC Studies How Alzheimer's May Impact The Brains Of Children In The Future
More than 6 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's disease. By 2050, that number is expected to double. An innovative study at UNMC is trying to find a way to cut that number. The project is called PRANK: Polygenetic Risk of Alzheimer's Disease In Nebraska Kids. Researchers hope studying children now will predict Alzheimer's in the future. (Fraser, 4/25)

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Former Wisconsin First Lady Elaine Schreiber Dies From Alzheimer's
Elaine Ruth Schreiber, who became Wisconsin's first lady when her husband, Marty, entered the governor's mansion in July 1977, then later went on to advocate for the millions of patients like herself, battling Alzheimer's Disease, died in her sleep early Monday morning. She was 82 and died at the Elaine's Hope Memory Care Assisted Living center at the Lutheran Home in Milwaukee, named in her honor in 2020. Named after her also is the child care facility at the Silver Spring Neighborhood Center, where she spent roughly a decade teaching children ages 3 to 5. In accordance with her wishes, Elaine's brain is being donated to the University of Wisconsin-Madison Brain Donor program to be used in Alzheimer's research. (Johnson, 4/25)

AP: New Maine Law Aims To Stop Harassment At Abortion Clinics
A new law in Maine is designed to prevent harassment and blockades outside abortion providers in the state. Supporters said the new law gives health service facilities the ability to establish and mark a “medical safety zone” that extends 8 feet (2 1/2 meters) from the center of an entryway. The zone would prohibit people from intentionally blocking entrances or harassing and threatening patients, said supporters. Violations could be charged as a misdemeanor. (Whittle, 4/25)

CalMatters: Abortion Rights: California Preps To Be A Haven 
California abortion clinics are building new facilities closer to transit hubs and training more staff. A package of a dozen abortion rights bills moving through the Legislature could expand the number of providers, provide financial assistance to women traveling to California to terminate their pregnancies, and legally protect the doctors who treat them. As new restrictions rapidly sweep the country in anticipation of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling this summer that may dramatically scale back or even end the constitutional right to abortion, California is preparing to step into the void — and welcome a possible surge of patients losing access in dozens of other states. (Koseff, 4/25)

Slate: The Unexpected Repercussions Of The Texas Abortion Ban.
In a third-floor medical suite with sweeping views of a Texas highway, staff members at Houston Women’s Reproductive Services are adapting to the new demands the state’s restrictive abortion law has placed on their jobs. They try to schedule every patient for a visit on the same day she calls, lest that patient lose a single valuable day of the narrow window for care. They linger on the phone with frantic women who are already terrified that they’ll be forced to carry an unwanted pregnancy to term, even though they are just a day or two late on their period. And they have pivoted, in many cases, to dispensing emotional and logistical support instead of medical care. (Cauterucci, 4/24)

In other abortion news —

USA Today: Supreme Court Abortion Decision Could Shape Nevada Senate Race
Republicans and Democrats alike see Nevada's U.S. Senate race this year as pivotal to controlling the upper chamber of Congress, but a looming Supreme Court decision on abortion rights could upend the election and, Democrats hope, keep the seat blue. Outrage over the potential loss of a constitutional right to an abortion could be particularly galvanizing for more liberal voters in Nevada, Democrats say, because the state has a long history of supporting reproductive rights. (Wells, 4/24)

Politico: Abortion Advocates’ Strategy Depends On Pills. An Information Gap Threatens Their Efforts.
Mail-order abortion pills could help millions of people discreetly terminate their pregnancies should the Supreme Court strike down Roe v. Wade in the coming months, providing a way to circumvent mounting state-imposed restrictions. But the majority of patients and many doctors remain in the dark or misinformed about the pills, how to obtain them, where to seek follow-up care and how to avoid landing in legal jeopardy, according to medical groups, abortion-rights advocates and national polls. (Ollstein and Messerly, 4/24)

The Washington Post: Catholic Priest Buried Fetuses From Abortion Clinic In A Private Cemetery 
The first time the Rev. William Kuchinsky performed a funeral Mass outside a parish, it was in the basement kitchen of a Capitol Hill rowhouse. He prayed over dozens of tiny blue circular, plastic containers. They held more than 100 human fetuses, and the service was a secret. Kuchinsky, a West Virginia priest well known for his antiabortion activism, had been called to the apartment on March 28 by other antiabortion activists who said they had gotten the remains from the driver of a medical waste disposal truck in D.C. — an account the waste company denied. Lauren Handy, who rented the apartment, and Terrisa Bukovinac, another activist, had asked Kuchinsky to come, and he celebrated a funeral Mass. (Boorstein, 4/25)

In other reproductive health news —

CBS News: Minnesota State Senate Candidate Delivered Convention Speech While In Labor And Having Contractions 
A Minnesota State Senate candidate was in labor while giving a speech at a convention to secure her party's nomination and had to leave early to give birth. Erin Maye Quade went into labor at about 2 a.m. on Saturday, the morning of Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party convention. She still showed up in labor and gave her speech, her campaign manager Mitchell Walstad told CBS News.  Video taken at the convention shows her holding her stomach and pausing, apparently having a contraction, after finishing a sentence of her speech. (O'Kane, 4/25)

ABC News: Ashley Tisdale Opens Up About Healing From Postpartum Diastasis Recti Condition
Ashley Tisdale is opening up about her experience with diastasis recti, a condition that affects pregnant and postpartum people. In an Instagram post over the weekend, the “High School Musical” actress wrote that she’s spent the past year working on loving her body. ... Diastasis recti happens when the uterus stretches the muscles in the abdomen. It can cause the two large parallel bands of muscles that meet in the middle of the abdomen to become separated by an abnormal distance, according to the Mayo Clinic. (Bernabe, 4/25)

San Francisco Chronicle: San Francisco Wants To Hold The Prescription Drug Industry Responsible For The Opioid Crisis. Here Are 3 Ways The Trial Underway Is Unique
With billions of dollars at stake, San Francisco opened a federal court trial Monday against Walgreens pharmacy and three companies that manufacture or distribute opioids. The companies regularly “overstated the benefits and trivialized the risks of the long-term use of opioids” to their customers, City Attorney David Chiu’s office said in a filing with U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer of San Francisco, who is presiding over the non-jury trial. (Egelko, 4/25)

In other health news from across the U.S. —

AP: US Military Drops Appeal Of Hawaii Order To Drain Fuel Tanks
The U.S. government on Friday dropped its appeals of a Hawaii order requiring it to remove fuel from a massive military fuel storage facility that leaked petroleum into the Navy's water system at Pearl Harbor last year. Attorneys for the U.S. Department of Defense notified the state and federal courts of its decision. The move comes more than a month after Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the military would permanently shut down the tanks and drain all of their fuel. (McAvoy, 4/24)

AP: Hearing Set In Effort To Block Alabama Transgender Law
A federal judge will hear arguments next month on whether to block enforcement of an Alabama law outlawing the use of gender-affirming medications to treat transgender people under age 19.The May 5 hearing is scheduled just days before the law is set to take effect on May 8. U.S. District Judge Liles Burke set the evidentiary hearing, scheduled to last up to two days, on a request for a temporary restraining order or preliminary injunction to stop Alabama officials from enforcing the law while a court challenge goes forward. (4/25)

Philadelphia Inquirer: Advocates For The Elderly Want State Regulators To Take A Harder Look At Nursing Home Sales
In the most complete revision of its nursing home rules in at least 25 years, the Pennsylvania Department of Health last month proposed new regulations that would require more scrutiny of homes’ prospective owners. For the first time, regulators would analyze the financial strength and past performance of owners — including individuals, not just legal entities — and related companies that seek to take over nursing homes in the state. Historically, officials have effectively rubber-stamped license applications, critics said. (Brubaker, 4/26)

Detroit Free Press: Michigan Schools Missing Students' Signs Of Dyslexia
In first grade, Lynn Gaskell's daughter was behind in reading. When Rileigh, now 13, tried to read aloud, she added extra syllables to words and stumbled through pages. Rileigh’s school evaluated her and came back to her parents with a recommendation: Evaluate Rileigh for ADHD, which Rileigh did have. Her reading problems persisted all through elementary school, landing her extra time with reading teachers with little progress. Gaskell brought up dyslexia, but she said school officials brushed her off. "Not one single person approached me about dyslexia, not one time," Gaskell said. (Altavena, 4/25)

Anchorage Daily News: Private Donors Put $7M Toward Anchorage’s Homelessness Plan
A group of private organizations is donating $7 million toward Anchorage’s plan to fast-track several homelessness services projects as part of an effort to close the city’s pandemic-era emergency mass care operations by June 30. The Anchorage Assembly has already allocated $6 million toward the projects, bringing the total so far to $13 million. Private donors include the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority, Calista Corp., Chugach Alaska Corp., Doyon Ltd., Premera Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alaska, Providence Alaska, the Rasmuson Foundation and Weidner Apartment Homes. (Goodykoontz, 4/25)

AP: Indiana Town Sued By Government, Didn't Hire Man With HIV 
The federal government is accusing a southern Indiana town of discriminating against a man with HIV who applied to become a police officer. The Justice Department said it filed a lawsuit Monday against Clarksville, Indiana. Clarksville police had offered a job to a man who was already working as a volunteer reserve officer but then dropped the offer in 2015 based on his HIV status, the Justice Department said. (4/26)

KHN: Shopping For Space, Health Systems Make Over Malls
The hulking Hickory Hollow Mall — a full 1.1 million square feet of retail space in southeastern Nashville — was once the largest shopping center in Tennessee. But like many malls, it’s been in a downward death spiral for more than a decade. Now the mammoth complex surrounded by acres of parking is on track to join the ranks of malls making a transition into a booming economic sector: medicine. Vanderbilt University Medical Center has had such success reviving a different mall that its health system, Vanderbilt Health, plans to add medical clinics at the former Hickory Hollow Mall, rebranded a decade ago as the Global Mall at the Crossings. (Farmer, 4/26)

KHN: Tech Titans Want The Richest Californians To Pay For Pandemic Preparedness 
Gabe Bankman-Fried, a former Wall Street trader, has raised $12 million from a cryptocurrency trading firm founded by his brother, Sam Bankman-Fried. Dustin Moskovitz, a billionaire who roomed with Mark Zuckerberg in college and helped found Facebook in 2004, funds a nonprofit with his wife that has ponied up $6.5 million. And Max Henderson, a startup investor and former Google executive, is using that money to spearhead a campaign for a statewide ballot initiative that would tax California’s wealthiest residents and fund public health initiatives, with the ambitious goal of preventing another pandemic from ripping across the country. (Hart, 4/26)

Bloomberg: Covid Pandemic Links To Children’s Liver Ailment Eyed In U.K. Probe
Health authorities are investigating potential links between the pandemic and an outbreak of mysterious, acute hepatitis that’s sickened children in the U.K., the U.S. and other countries. The U.K. has detected adenovirus, a family of pathogens that cause a range of illnesses including the common cold, in three-quarters of the cases of the liver-inflaming disease, officials said Monday. Now they’re studying whether a lack of prior exposure to adenoviruses during pandemic restrictions or a previous infection with SARS-CoV-2 or another virus may be related. (Paton, 4/25)

AP: UK: More Links Between Common Virus, Hepatitis In Children 
While it isn’t clear what’s causing the illnesses, a leading suspect is adenovirus, which was detected in 75% of the confirmed cases tested, the U.K. agency said in statement Monday. Adenovirus, a common group of viruses, is now circulating in children at higher than average levels after dropping to unusually low levels during the pandemic. One avenue of inquiry being explored is that the outbreak may be linked to a surge in common viral infections after COVID-19 restrictions were phased out. Children who weren’t exposed to adenovirus over the last two years may now be getting hit harder when they are exposed to the viruses. (Kirka, 4/25)

In other global developments —

The Wall Street Journal: South Korea Downgrades Covid-19 From Riskiest-Disease Category 
South Korea has downgraded Covid-19 from the country’s riskiest category of infectious disease, a first step toward treating the virus more like the seasonal flu. The country is one of the first to make such a move. The downgrade, approved Monday by health officials, will take effect after a four-week transition period. (Yoon, 4/25)

AP: Most Of Beijing To Be Tested For COVID Amid Lockdown Worry
Beijing will conduct mass testing of most of its 21 million people, authorities announced Monday, as a new COVID-19 outbreak sparked stockpiling of food by residents worried about the possibility of a Shanghai-style lockdown. The Chinese capital began mass testing people in one of its 16 districts where most of the new cases have been found. The city also imposed lockdowns on individual residential buildings and one section of the city. Late in the day, health officials said the testing would be expanded Tuesday to all but five outlying districts. (Wang and Moritsugu, 4/26)

On ebola —

CIDRAP: Ebola Returns To Northwest DR Congo; Animal Spillover Suspected 
Yesterday, scientists who examined the genetic sequence of the sample said evidence suggests a new spillover from the host reservoir and doesn't show a direct link to Equateur province's earlier outbreaks in 2018 and 2020. (Schnirring, 4/25)

ASBMB Today: Ebola Virus Hides Out In Brain
The Ebola virus can hide in the brains of monkeys that have recovered after medical treatment without causing symptoms and lead to recurrent infections, according to a study by a team I led that was published in the journal Science Translational Medicine. (Zeng, 4/16)

On C. Diff —

CIDRAP: Danish Study Suggests Potential C Difficile Spread Between Pigs, Humans
A study conducted in Danish pigs found strains of Clostridioides difficile that were similar to those found in humans, with multiple resistance genes, researchers reported late last week at the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. In the study, researchers from the University of Copenhagen and Statens Serum Institut tested 514 samples collected in two batches from 14 Danish pig farms for the presence of C difficile. They also conducted whole-genome sequencing to determine the multilocus sequence type, toxins, and resistance genes, and to compare the pig isolates to isolates collected from human C difficile patients during the same period. (4/25)

The Washington Post: Global Vaccination Is Losing Momentum. Congress Can Help. 
As Congress returns this week, it should quickly address the unfinished business of global pandemic vaccination coverage, which is losing momentum. Some $5 billion was omitted from the most recent covid-19 funding bill in a political compromise. But there can be no compromising with this virus. It must be fought in many lower-income countries, where vaccine uptake is low, to reduce the chances of another destructive variant. (4/25)

Newsweek: We Need To Stop Indiscriminately Testing For COVID. It's Harming Our Kids 
There is a pervasive notion in the United States that doing more to fight any disease is always better. It's a sentiment that's only grown during the pandemic. In truth, we live in a world of tradeoffs with downsides to most medical interventions—which means that the ability to test is not always a reason to test. We do not, for example, regularly test everyone for HIV; it's clear in that case that the burdens can quickly outweigh the benefits. And yet, while most intuitively understand that we can't regularly test everyone for every disease, acknowledging that there are tradeoffs is something many seem to be struggling with when it comes to COVID-19. (Tracy Beth Hoeg and Ram Duriseti, 4/25)

Los Angeles Times: California's Schools Don't Need A Vaccine Mandate — At Least, Not Right Now 
Though experts’ understanding of COVID-19 has grown tremendously, the virus that causes it is an ever-changing story, challenging our ability to form policy that works from one season to the next. In January, when state Sen. Richard Pan (D-Sacramento) introduced a bill to make COVID-19 vaccination mandatory for K-12 students, fears about the easily transmissible Omicron variant were at a high point. But months later, a vaccine mandate for school-age children seems less urgent — at least for the moment. (4/25)

The New York Times: How Covid Breaks All the Rules of Human Narrative
In popular culture, a successful plot is a recognizable plot — the hero’s epic journey, the marriage’s inevitable consummation, the dashing warrior who slays the monster. Some narratologists argue that there are no more than a handful of basic plots — story lines that are recycled again and again, such as “the quest,” “rebirth” and “rags to riches.” Hollywood producers tend to agree, as illustrated by an old industry joke my father, a screenwriter, once told me about the head of production who demands a movie plot that is exactly the same as the last one — except different. As the coronavirus pandemic appears to be coming to an end — “the end” itself being a literary term of art — we may think we know its complete story. Covid has saturated the news and inundated media streams of all genus and species. But information is not a story. Nor are Facebook posts, TikTok videos, nor death and hospitalization statistics. (Frederick Kaufman, 4/23)

USA Today: Teletherapy Across State Lines Is Constitutionally Protected Speech
Like so many other therapists across the nation throughout the pandemic, Elizabeth Brokamp used online video technology to talk with one of her clients about family struggles, COVID-19 anxiety, an engagement and a looming job change. Unfortunately, that last one meant these conversations eventually turned from "counseling" into "crimes." Not because anything changed about the client or her needs, but because the job change meant the client moved across state lines – so Brokamp's helpful conversations were suddenly forbidden by the government. (Rob Johnson, 4/25)

The New York Times: Congress Has To Ask How Much McKinsey Hurt The F.D.A. 
The managing partner of the global consulting firm McKinsey will testify before Congress on Wednesday to respond to a stunning congressional report revealing that his company’s consultants were simultaneously working for Purdue Pharma, the manufacturer of the opioid OxyContin, and the Food and Drug Administration. As McKinsey was sending what one consultant called a “mini army” to serve Purdue Pharma — which would later declare bankruptcy while facing thousands of lawsuits over its role in the opioid epidemic — it was advising the F.D.A. on how to organize the offices overseeing the safety of opioids and other medications. (Joshua M. Sharfstein, 4/26)

Columbus Dispatch: Medicare Advantage Reimbursement Rates Must Be Kept Stable
If we’ve learned anything from the pandemic, it’s that ensuring access to health care services and treatments for everyone—particularly for more vulnerable patients like seniors and those living with disabilities—is not just the right thing to do, but it is an absolute necessity to ensure a stronger health care system. (Dontavius Jarrells, 4/26)

Chicago Tribune: Hospitals Are Doing More To Tackle Chicago Gun Violence Than Treating Gunshot Wounds
In 2018, I launched a partnership of the 10 major hospitals serving Chicago on a project to address the root causes of violence called the Chicago HEAL Initiative. Recently, we released a report on the progress made over three years and the ways that hospitals are reaching beyond their walls to partner with the community. Under this project, University of Chicago, Advocate Christ, Mt. Sinai, and Stroger-Cook County hospitals are not just stitching up the physical wounds of gunshot patients — they are addressing their emotional scars to prevent retaliations. (Dick Durbin, 4/25)

Also —

The Atlantic: There's No Knowing What Will Happen When Roe V. Wade Falls 
Everything about the American abortion war has taken on an air of inevitability. The Supreme Court will reverse Roe v. Wade, the landmark abortion decision establishing a constitutional right to end a pregnancy. The United States will divide along expected lines, with abortion broadly accessible in blue states and all but entirely criminalized in red states. This narrative is not completely wrong. Twelve states have passed so-called trigger bans that will outlaw all or most abortions if Roe and Planned Parenthood v. Casey are overturned. At the same time, 16 states and the District of Columbia have policies guaranteeing abortion rights no matter what the Supreme Court decides. (Rachel Rebouche and Mary Ziegler, 4/25)

Kansas City Star: Abortion A Case Of Religious Freedom, Missouri Republicans 
Missouri legislative proposals range from laws to criminally prosecute anyone trying to help someone obtain an abortion in another state to prohibiting abortion after a so-called “heartbeat” is detected at roughly six weeks. Apparently, that rhythmic cardiac activity in an embryo is now equated with being a fully-formed human. Politicians are culpable for babies born through the force of the state into circumstances that increase their probability of experiencing abuse and neglect. Credible research has identified conditions associated with a greater probability that these children will be physically and/or sexually abused. They include domestic violence, isolation, economic distress, lack of support systems, past family abuse, substance abuse and unintended pregnancy. (Victoria Johnson, 4/26)

Columbus Dispatch: Abortion Ban Would Unfairly Impact Poor And People Of Color
Abortion is legal in Ohio, yet legislators continue to chip away at abortion access in the state. The entire country is awaiting the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization — a case that could ultimately overturn Roe v. Wade. However, the weight of this decision hits differently in Ohio, where legislators are considering several bills, two “trigger ban” laws (Senate Bill 123 and House Bill 598) and one law that would allow private citizens to sue individuals aiding abortions (House Bill 480). (Payal Chakraborty and Danielle Bessett, 4/26)